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MUMBAI: The BBC Trust has published an independent
review it had commissioned from the National
Audit Office (NAO): The BBC's Preparedness
for Digital Switchover, which looks in particular
at how UK pubcaster the BBC plans to meet
its obligations set out under the Royal
Charter and Agreement.
BBC
Trustee Jeremy Peat said, "We
would like to thank the NAO for carrying
out this review which will help the Trust
to ensure that the BBC can fulfil its obligations
under the Royal Charter to take a leading
role in digital switchover whilst achieving
value for money for licence fee payers.
"The
Trust accepts the report's conclusions and
has discussed the NAO's findings and recommendations
with the BBC Executive. The Trust is content
that the BBC management team's proposed
actions are an appropriate response and
endorses them. Furthermore, the Trust will
continue to scrutinise the BBC's preparations
for digital switchover and will commission
a review of the Digital Switchover Help
Scheme around 2009 to monitor the operational
value for money of the scheme."
BBC
Trust comptroller and auditor general Sir
John Bourn said, "The
BBC will play a central role in the switchover
from analogue to digital television. At
this early stage, it is important that it
gets sensible governance arrangements established.
"This
is a major project and things will move
quickly. The BBC and NAO have identified
a number of issues, and the BBC must be
on top of its game to get value from the
£800 million they have to spend on
providing the help scheme and communicating
with viewers."
The
UK's digital switchover programme involves
several public and private sector organisations
including government departments, Ofcom,
other public service broadcasters and Digital
UK.
The
NAO notes that the BBC will play a leading
role in delivering the UK's switchover to
digital television by 2012, and the Trust
commissioned the report to ensure that the
BBC is well placed to fulfil its commitment
to licence fee payers to deliver a UK wide
network of digital television.
The
NAO has identified three areas where the
BBC should act to protect its position.
The
NAO recommends that the BBC could further
strengthen its oversight of switchover work
with independent representation on the project
governance board.
The
Trust endorses the BBC Executive's decision
to involve a non-executive director with
appropriate expertise in the overall governance
of the switchover programme.
The
NAO also recommends measures to be put in
place for measuring the value for money
of the BBC's £200 million funding
of Digital UK.
The
BBC Executive has undertaken to bolster
its existing programme of evaluation following
the end of the switchover in the Copeland
region and the Trust will monitor progress.
The
NAO's final recommendation is that lessons
from the Copeland scheme are incorporated
in the procurement of the National Digital
Switchover Help Scheme.
The
BBC Executive notes that there is a weekly
updating of information from the Copeland
scheme to the national scheme but adds that
there is a balance to be struck in terms
of waiting for all the data to be available
and allowing the successful bidder maximum
implementation time before the start of
the national scheme. The Trust will also
put in place performance indicators for
the help scheme and ensure that where possible
the Copeland experiences features in the
contract.
Additionally
the Trust will commission a review to monitor
the operational value for money of the Digital
Switchover Help Scheme around 2009.
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